James Levine returned to the Met this year; he's seen here conducting Mozart's Così fan tutte Sept. 24.

Jonathan Tichler
/ Metropolitan Opera

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That could be the annual mantra for the classical music world. It has been predicted to crumble for decades, just as optimists continue to point to positive trends. This year is no different. Despite two ugly black eyes — the death of the New York City Opera and the continuing, bitter stalemate between the Minnesota Orchestra's (locked out) musicians and management — terrific music is being made by marvelous artists. Here we offer a short list of the best and worst of 2013. Let us know what we missed in our comments section, on Facebook and through Twitter.